Along with the 30 candidates, the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award for the first time named an honorary nominee, late Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who died in a car accident in July.

In the release announcing the candidates, this is what was said about Foltz:

This year, the Senior CLASS Award also will honor deceased Nebraska student-athlete Sam Foltz by making him an honorary candidate. The 2015 Big Ten Punter of the Year and a preseason candidate for the Ray Guy Award, Foltz was killed in an automobile accident on July 23, 2016, after attending a kicking camp in Wisconsin. A standout on the field as well as in the classroom and community, Foltz was a five-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll, a member of both the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship teams, and earlier this year was awarded a Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional leadership, consistent and dedicated community service and positive influence on the team.

The award “honors the attributes of NCAA Division I senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.” The winner, as “determined by a selection process that includes NCAA Division I college coaches in each respective sport, national media and fans,” will be announced in January.